As I think, for the companies it's pretty important, that I am the middle of the(ir) marketplace. For them I'm/my identity is a possible product, something that somebody else will buy from them. Whoever gets the most of my identity first, makes the most profit. Simple as that. And no, for me paying someone, just for the plain reason, that (s)he will not sell/expose my data, is not a sign of trust and I also consider it as a stupid action. But that's my opinion. Stopping (or at least believing them to stop) selling my data away shouldn't be anything I should buy. It should be taken for granted. But it's not. Because not selling data away isn't as lucrative as doing it. Agreed with last point. Proxies aren't made for privacy. Handy but not even near to privacy.You're the product when you're in the middle of a marketplace. That's the one case where you, not something of yours, is on sale.
I think I don't understand - by speaking of VPNs, your identity is you. The 'data' I'm speaking of is the bundle of your preferences, your habits, your activity, your motive, etc. = your identity. Identities are the (new) currency of the (new) world.